Most local students back in school this month

Wednesday

Aug 6, 2014 at 8:19 PMAug 6, 2014 at 8:27 PM

APPLE VALLEY — There’s still plenty of summer left, but many local students are already hitting the books again.Nearly every local school resumes classes this month, as districts in the Victor Valley continue to move away from the tradition of starting classes in the fall. Oro Grande students reported to class on Monday, and Apple Valley Unified School District students started school Wednesday.AVUSD Superintendent Tom Hoegerman said students and staff welcomed the new school year with “excitement” and “bright smiles on their faces.”“Today was a very smooth opening,” Hoegerman said Wednesday afternoon.Hoegerman said two important factors in making scheduling decisions are minimizing energy costs and “maximizing instructional days before testing” in the spring.He says the district is responsible for heating and cooling about 1.2 million square feet of indoor space, and the current schedule allows the district to shut down almost all of its offices and classrooms during the sweltering four-week period from mid-June to mid-July.He also said the earlier start date gives students more time to prepare for standardized tests such as the new Smarter Balanced state testing or Advanced Placement exams. According to a previous Daily Press report, AVUSD was the top performer among High Desert districts on the most recent AP tests.Hoegerman added that the length of summer break is also a concern, as “some kids slip” academically during a long vacation.Victor Valley Union High School District and Hesperia Unified School District students head back to school on Monday, with Adelanto Elementary School District and Snowline Joint Unified School Districts starting classes three days later.Victor Elementary, Lucerne Valley and Helendale students will hit the books Aug. 18.Some charter or alternative schools within each district may maintain their own schedules. Excelsior Charter Schools start classes on Sept. 2.Hoegerman said AVUSD’s schedule has been roughly the same for the past three years, but the district will form a committee to re-evaluate the schedule and see if it should be adjusted for next year. He said the decision will be an “open process” involving parents, teachers and other district employees.— Staff Writer Brooke Self contributed to this report.